That One Case
by AmeStrom
Summary: Let's say a muggle has stumbled across something that he shouldn't involve himself in. The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Round 6


Disclaimer: The Harry potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling. The only profit I gain from this

story is the enjoyment and experience of writing it.

Written for the **The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition- Round 6**

CHASER 2: I picked the genre:

Crime

Additional Prompts:

8\. (picture)  image.5361614.3879/flat,550x550,075,f.

9\. (word) history

13\. (song) 'My Immortal' by Evanescence

 **That One Case**

He shifted nervously as he rubbed his hands together. His breath coming out in frosty puffs. The snow was starting to snow flakes coming down softly. He huffed and tugged on his coat collar to keep the cold at bay. He heard footsteps on the path behind him. Turning to face the figure he spoke, "Bought time! I thought I was going to freeze before-"

#

The next morning Coppers and Forensics were scurrying around collecting data.

A Sargent yawned as he climbed out of his car. Reluctantly leaving its warm space into to crisp morning air. There were already several different coppers hovering around the area. The bright yellow tape was blocking off part of the park. Approaching one of them, he flashed his badge and gave a drowsy good morning. He ducked under the tap and approached the head forensics that was kneeling next to the body.

"So mugging gone bad? Slipped on the ice and knocked his head? Pushed?"

"Just because someone is sprawled out on the ground doesn't mean that they were murdered."

Not missing a beat, he replied, "When I am around it usually is."

"True." She said with a laugh and stood up.

"So?" He queried as he studied the body. The victim was a young man, he estimated in his 40s maybe early 50s. He was dressed in warm clothes for protection against the cold. What really drew your attention was that his eyes were open wide and his face that was contorted with terror.

"We'll need to do an autopsy to be sure, but at the moment I am saying it was a heart attack."

"Then why am I here?"

"Well to be frank he was tortured before he died."

"Tortured?" White said his brows furrowing. "Got involved with a one of the drug cartels, do you think?"

She shrugged, "Maybe, but I am shocked that he was able to get here by himself."

"What do you mean?"

"His arm is broken and there is severe bruising on his back as if he fell or was shoved against something with extreme force." She frowned her nose wrinkling as she did. "There is something else too. His body is contorted as if he was in agony."

"Poison?"

"It's a possibility. Though I won't know for sure until I can do an autopsy."

Just then a sleek black car pulled up next to his car.

He gave a nod to Prama as he headed over to it.

"Sargent White, good to see you on time." The man spoke as he stepped out of the black car. He was tall with sallow skin, hooked nose with greasy black hair. "For once."

White had to stop the scowled from his face.

"Yes, Sir." He said as calmly as possible.

They walked back over to the body in silence. As Snape inspected the victim and White drifted off to look around the surrounding park. He walked carefully over to the snow covered bench.

He could hear, "Music?" He glanced around the area, but couldn't see anyone in sight. The music faded away into the distance, even before he was able to fully register it. White shook his head, "Probably just echoes off the buildings."

#

White yawned as he slumped down at his desk. Snape had shot down his drug cartel theory and grounded him in paper work. He couldn't believe a git like that had gotten too high without being shot. He arrived just in time to see an elderly gentleman to exit Snape's office.

"Have a good afternoon, Severus." He was saying as he stepped out of the door.

Snape had a scowl on his face as he followed the man. "Good day Headmaster." Snape said sullenly his lips curling up slightly. White recognized it as a sure sign of his superior getting irritated. He ducked to the side trying to be inconspicuous. It failed rather spectacularly since both turned their attention to him.

"Don't you have reported to be finishing or did something so simple slip your mind." Snape sneered.

"I need to talk to you about the park case." White said straightening his shoulders. Snape's scowl increase and he opened his mouth, but was cut off by the older man. "My dear boy, perhaps you should do what Severus suggests. He quit the intelligent you man."

White snorted and crossed his arms, looking over at the old man. "I am sure."

The old man had an extremely long silver beard, which struck White as very strange. He wore a bight colored suit and wore half-moon spectacles. He looked very old even though he held himself completely upright and obviously didn't have a cane.

"Albus Dumbledore." The elderly man introduced himself offering his hand.

White hesitated for a moment before grasping it in a firm shake, "Sargent Rider White."

The man nodded and smiled. "We shall talk again soon, Severus." He swept pass and vanished down the hallway.

"Who exactly was he?" asked Rider with a frown.

Snape ignored the question as turned back into his office. "The case you so delicately refer to is being passed on to more capable hands."

 _I'm so tired of being here_

 _Suppressed by all my childish fears_

Rider glanced around his eyes lighted on the picture frame on Snape's desk. There were about two young kids probably around ten or eleven. He could easily guess that one was Snape but the other was of a young girl with red hair and bright green eyes. His best theory was a childhood friend that passed away. "More capable hands." Rider snarled, his lip curled in anger. He suddenly wanted to finish this case and he wanted to do it by himself.

"-you won't involve yourself. I have the time to deal with cleaning up your clumsy blunders." Snape was saying his attention had turned to the papers on his desk. That was his way of dismissing him like a child incapable of making proper decisions.

"Yes, Sir." He barely managed to forth the words out between his clenched teeth. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the office and returned to his desk. Sitting down, he stared at his computer screen for several moments. He reached over and plucked up the phone and dial a few numbers.

"Prama here." Answered a rather distracted voice.

"Did you finish the autopsy on the John Doe in the park?"

"Yes, but I don't know what to make of it." Rider blinked in surprise. Prama was good at her job, so to hear that she couldn't figure out something was rather disturbing. "Its like his bones where crushed by an outside force."

"Thats usually the case." Rider muttered.

She huffed, but ignored by continuing to talk. "What I mean is that there are contusions on his skin, but not enough to indicate the trauma to the bones. His blood stream was clean of any toxins that would explain the particular."

"So what their a couple weeks old." He said the gears already turning in his head to process the information.

"No." She said, cutting off his thoughts. "They were fresh maybe only a half an hour at most before his death."

Rider frowned, "But.. That's not possible." He said slowly. "Unless his body was moved to the park?" Silence followed this. Neither of them knew what to say to this because in both their minds this information was impossible.

"I'll keep looking over the data. It's quite possible that I miss something."

"You better find it fast then. The bat says that he's handing the case over to more capable hands. So you might loose the body."

"What! Who is he turning the case over to?"

"Don't know." Disgruntlement in every word. He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Well, whatever the case I have work to return to." Prama said and hung up

Rider frowned as he dropped the phone back into its cradle. Instead of answers there only were more questions. An email just then popped into his Inbox. Opening it showed that it there was a match for dental records. The John Doe now had the name, Louis Peter James.

"Let's see what sort of trouble you got yourself into?" Rider said with a smirk and popping his knuckles. Flicking through the victim's financial deals. An hour later he still had nothing but more questions. Mr James seemed to go for weeks with little activity, then return to normal again. He was just about to give up when he found a small but common occurrence. The victim seemed to be in the habit of buying coffee at the same shop every week around noon.

#

The next day he took his lunch break and settled down outside the cafe'. The street on wasn't very busy. He sat and sipped a cup of coffee as he watched the people go by with a nonchalant air. After a bit of time pass he started to doubt that anything would happen. A familiar black car pulled up to park next to the curb. He grimaced and shifted his chair slightly so he was hidden from sight by a decorative plant piece. Snape moved to sit down at one of the tables a bit apart from the rest. After a bit someone came and sat down across from Snape. Rider didn't dare turn and look encase he drew attention to himself.

"He wasn't supposed to die." Snape said in a low voice.

"Hardly matters now what was suppose to happen." Said a strange even voice. "Besides, he should have know better than to put his nose where it doesn't belong."

"I would have dealt with it." Snarled Snape, Rider could easily picture the sneer that would be on his face. "If you had left it to me we wouldn't have Dumbledore snooping around."

"He came to see you?"

There was a silence for a moment before the strange voice spoke again. "When our master returns it won't be a concern."

Rider and to stop himself from looking over his shoulder in confusion. _"What kind of group is called their leader Master?"_

"I've heard rumors which I am sure are true. Come, let us go meet with the others. I have good news for everyone."

Rider heard the scrape of chairs. He waited for a bit before getting up and turning to follow them. For a moment he thought they had split, but after a moment of concentration he could make out another figure moving among the crowd next to Snape.

#

They ended up in a abounded looking warehouse near the edge of town. He waited for a moment as they went inside. He didn't like the look of the place, one wrong move and it might fall down on you. Gaining some courage he duck in after them. The place had shelves that were stacked high with boxes so that the building resembled more of a maze than anything else.

"Their late." Snape voiced irritably.

There was a moment where you could only hear the shuffle of feet. "They won't be coming."

Rider turned a corner to see a cloaked figure facing Snape a hand raised to point something at him. Snape snorted and he reached into his coat. The figure's hand tightens and the only logical conclusion Rider could see in this situation was that it was a gun. Rider whipped out his gun and fired a shot. Then the world explodes into chaos. Same time he fired the figure had twirled around and shouted something. There was a blinding flash of light and nothing..

#

Rider could feel blinding pain through his body and felt complete weightlessness as well.

"Will he be alright?"

"Giving some time." A calm female voice replied

"We should ease his memoir!" Someone snapped.

"Just leave it, he didn't see enough to bother." Another disembodied voice spoke. The voices continued to swirl around him snip bits of conversation connected to each other. He slipped back into the comfort of unconsciousness.

#

 _These wounds won't seem to heal_

 _This pain is just too real_

 _There's just too much that time cannot erase_

When next he woke the was a rhythmic beeping sound off to his right. He forced his eyes open and sluggishly realized that he was in a hospital.

"Ah, good to see you're awake." Turning his head, he saw a nurse who had a clipboard in her hand. "I'll go get the doctor."

Turns out that Snape had been working undercover to reveal a drug smuggling ring. Or at least that was the story that they were dishing out to everyone. He had gone for a walk once the doctor finally let him go. The wound in his side was healed, but still ached. Standing beside a snowy park bench where the whole case started was a bit surreal.

Hearing footsteps he looked up and was surprised to see Snape approaching. Snape didn't say anything as he stopped to stand next to him.

"What was her name?" He paused, then added to clarify. "The girl in the picture on your desk."

Silence fell for a long moment and Rider thought he wouldn't get an answer before Snape spoke softly, "Her name was Lily. She was the reason that I became a detective."

"So she was murdered?"

"Yes."

Rider nodded and looked up into the cool winter sky. No matter all confusion and the unanswered questions this case would go down in history, his history.


End file.
